


Just One Night

by Jemma97



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M, SnowBarry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-06
Updated: 2015-02-12
Packaged: 2018-03-10 20:12:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3301988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jemma97/pseuds/Jemma97
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Line up the facts, she thinks. Fact 1:Barry and I just had sex. Fact 2: It was a one night stand—no, no Caitlin, that's not a fact. Don't jump to conclusions. Try again. Fact 2: …It's not something that's happened before. (Yes, that's better) Fact 3: Barry just went to make us both breakfast, meaning either he's hungry, or he actually cares about me in a romantic way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Flash. If I did, I wouldn't be writing lame fics, I'd be making Caitlin and Barry makeout on screen.**

**Inspired by tumblr user xxjijaxx.**

**~J.H.**

* * *

She feels Barry moving behind her, repositioning his body, tightening his hold around her bare waist. She's been awake for some time now, but she doesn't move, partly because she enjoys the feeling of Barry's body covering hers, arms around her, his nose pressed against her neck…and partly because she knows. Although the last night was good— _wonderful_ , even, Caitlin  _knows_ it was only a one-night-stand. She knows his heart truly lies with Iris, and that nothing can really come out of this.

Barry must know, too. He must know that they're better off as just friends, never to do this again, never to speak of this again. That's why she refuses to let Barry know she's awake. She knows how this is supposed to go. He's supposed to sneak out before she's awake, and then they're supposed to act normal, like nothing at all happened.

Still, even with the facts staring her right in the face, she can't help but notice that he's  _not_ getting up. He's  _not_ sneaking out, and right now, lying in bed with him, she's never felt more relaxed.

"Are you awake?" his voice whispers, tickling the back of her neck. Caitlin says nothing, confused. Why isn't he leaving? "Caitlin?" he whispers again, and Caitlin feels him sitting up.  _Now he's going to leave_ she thinks.

She feels his hand on her forehead, light as a feather, brushing her hair away. Then, his lips softly kissing her temple. Even though she'd felt his lips all over her body the night before, the touch still makes her heart pound. She's even more confused—he  _knows_ it was just a one-night stand, right? "I know you're awake," Barry says, a hint of a smile in his voice. Caitlin gives up and opens her eyes, only to find Barry's green ones inches from hers.

"Good morning," he says cheerily, planting another kiss on her temple, "I'm going to make some breakfast." With one last kiss, he gets up and dresses, heading out the door without another word.

Caitlin watches him go, not quite sure how to react. The way he's acting…so casual, so normal, as if they were already a couple and they'd had sex a million times before…what does it mean?

_Line up the facts and com to a conclusion,_ she thinks. This tactic has always worked when she's faced with a difficult problem.

Fact 1: Barry and I just had sex.

Fact 2: It was a one night stand— _no, no Caitlin, that's not a fact. Don't jump to conclusions. Try again._

Fact 2: …It's not something that's happened before. ( _Yes, that's better)_

Fact 3: Barry still loves Iris.

Fact 4: I still love Ronnie

Fact 5: Barry just went to make us both breakfast, meaning either he's just really really hungry, or he actually cares about me in a romantic way, and would possibly want to create an actual relationship out of this.

_Come to a conclusion._ Her head swims as she tries to add all these facts together, desperately trying to make sense of them, but…it just didn't work. The equation was faulty. She shakes her head, trying to clear it, and she realized that, despite the situation, she really  _was_ hungry, and an irresistible smell of bacon is drifting up from the kitchen into the bedroom

_I'll figure this out later_ she tells herself as she rises out of bed and throws on yesterday's clothes.

Barry's humming to himself as she enters the kitchen. He smiles when he sees her and begins to pour her a cup of coffee. She shifts uncomfortably. Shouldn't they talk about things? "Barry…" she says, but he's busy fixing her cup of coffee—with no sugar and just a touch of cream, just the way she likes it.

"Barry," she tries again.

"Do you want sausage or bacon? Or both? Both is good."

" _Barry."_

He turns back to her, plate full of eggs, bacon and sausage in his hand, looking concerned, "What?"

"Shouldn't we…talk about this?"

His eyebrows knit together for a moment, and he goes to sit in the chair next to her, setting the plate of breakfast food down in between them. "What is there to talk about, Cait?"

She herself isn't really sure, but she doesn't dare let him know that. "I just…think we should discuss…what's going to happen next."

"Oh…" Barry looks slightly hurt for a moment, and Caitlin can't quite figure out why. "What do you  _want_ to happen next?" Barry asks, looking up at her.

She sighs, "I don't know Barry, that's why I asked you."  _Because you're still in love with Iris, and there's no way we can start a relationship right now._ "I…don't think I'm in a place where I…want a relationship right now."

Barry chews his lip for a moment before saying, quietly, "Because of Ronnie?"

Honestly, Caitlin doesn't know if it's because of Ronnie. Ronnie's dead, and she knows that. And, although she'll always,  _always_ love Ronnie, and she'll never get over his death, she also knows…she knows she has to move on.

But she also knows that she can't move on with Barry. She can't move on with someone who doesn't love her—not for her own sake, but for his. So, all she says is, "Yes, because of Ronnie."

Barry nods, like he's expecting that. He rises suddenly, and says, rather stiffly, "Well, then. I guess we'll just head up to S.T.A.R. labs and forget about the whole thing? If…it that's what you want."

_No, no. That's not what I want._ "Yes, I think that's for the best."

He nods again and walks away without another word, and Caitlin watches him go, feeling an unexpected pit in her stomach as she does.

* * *

**Merry Christmas, Friends!**

**~J.H.**

  



	2. Chapter 2

**Good Lord, you guys are impatient!**

**But, because I love you (and I'm procrastinating studying for finals), here's chapter 2!**

**~J.H.**

* * *

 

The tension in the air is nearly tangible—Caitlin can feel it pushing them apart, so strong it was almost like a physical barrier. This was not how things were supposed to go  _at all_. It's been three days, and she and Barry have barely said two words to each other.

The odd stiffness between them is completely unnoticed by Cisco, who (God love him) is momentarily too absorbed with his gadgets to notice something is wrong, and is therefore blissfully unaware that his two best friends were now not speaking to each other (or that they had sex in the first place).

Doctor Wells, however, definitely knows something is up. She sees the confused, calculating glances he gives them. Although Caitlin's pretty sure he hasn't quite figured it out yet, she knows he will sooner or later.

Hopefully it will be later—she can't deal with Wells' disapproval right now, she already feels guilty enough. Iris had invited her to lunch today, and, although she knows there's nothing going on between Barry and Iris, she can't help but feel guilty for sleeping with him, especially now that she and Iris are spending more time together.

"I'm going to lunch," she announces to no one in particular, more to clear the silence in the room than anything else.

Barry says nothing; his back is to her.

"Hurry back," is all Wells says.

Cisco looks up from Barry's suit, which he's been modifying, "Can you bring me back some—"

"No," Caitlin says, picking up her purse and jacket.

* * *

 

"Hey!" Iris says cheerily when Caitlin walks into the café, "I'm almost finished—just let me wipe down this table." She grabs a sponge and begins to wipe the table, humming to herself. Caitlin can't help but smile—Iris had that effect on people.

"So what have you been up to lately?" Isis asks, throwing the sponge in the sink behind her and wiping her hands on her jeans.

"Oh, you know…."  _Sleeping with your best friend._ "Just the same old stuff," she winces at how lame that sounds.

Her stiff tone doesn't go past Iris. As they walk toward the door, Iris just says, simply, "You know, Caitlin, you can tell me anything."

Surprised, Caitlin doesn't know how to respond. It's strange to be having time with another girl. Felicity is the only other woman who's ever been to S.T.A.R. labs (besides Plastique), and Caitlin feels like she hasn't done anything…"girls' night out" in a long while.

Still, she knows she can't confide in Iris. What would she think of her?

"Hey." Caitlin's so lost in her thoughts that she doesn't notice that Barry is right in front of her.

"Oh—hey!" Iris hugs him, which makes Caitlin's heart feel like it's being twisted in knots. "What are you doing here?"

His eyes don't leave Caitlin's face as he says, "You left this." And hands her her cell phone.

"Thanks," she says, trying desperately to look anywhere but Barry or Iris, who still has her hands resting on Barry's shoulders.

Iris looks around, "How'd you get here? Where's your car?" she asks Barry.

"Oh, uh…I wal—"

"He took the bus," Caitlin intercedes, throwing Barry a dirty look.

"Yeah," Barry lies stiffly, "The bus"

"Well, do you want to join us for lunch?" Iris says, looking between the two of them. She removes her hands from Barry's shoulders, obviously seeing that something is up.

Barry looks at Caitlin for permission.  _You're a grown man, Barry, you don't need my permission to go out to lunch!_ She just raises her eyebrows at him.  _Make your own decision, Barry._

"I…er…would love to, but I have…a case. I gotta go," he turns and walks in the direction of S.T.A.R. labs.

"Barry!" Iris calls after him, laughing, "The bus stop is  _that_ way." She points in the opposite direction.

"Right," he turns and walks in the direction she was pointing

As soon as he's out of earshot, Iris turns back toward Caitlin, "Ohmygod, Caitlin! Why didn't you tell me!"

"Tell you?! T-tell you what?"

Iris links arms with her and they begin walking down the street again, "That you and Barry are dating!"

Caitlin flushes. How had Iris come to that conclusion?

"Oh, come on!" Iris laughs, "It's obvious! I mean you don't travel  _five_ blocks just to give someone their cell phone. Plus he would  _not_ stop looking at you the whole time. Oh, my God! He's in love, isn't he!"

_Yes, he is. The problem is he isn't in love with me._

"Sorry, I don't mean to pry," Iris says, "I just…I think it's so great for you two!"

"You do?" Caitlin's heart speeds up, as she suddenly pictures herself and Barry in an actual relationship, his feelings for Iris forgotten…

"I mean, you guys are  _perfect_ for each other! Trust me, I can spot a good relationship from a mile away, and Barry definitely got lucky with you!" Iris gives her a real, genuine smile.

Caitlin smiles back. She can't help it—the fact that Iris approves their relationship makes her believe an actual relationship it possible.

"Now, come on," Iris says, smiling and hooking her arm through Caitlin's, "I'm starving."

They make their way down the street, arm in arm, and all Caitlin can think is how glad she is to have another girl friend at her side.

* * *

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**I figured you guys might want to hear about how the one night stand actually happened, so this is a flashback fic!** **J**

**~J.H.**

            She keeps catching him looking at her. Normally, this might have unsettled her—she’d probably even call him out on it—but today she allows it. She enjoys it, even. Although she knows it’ll probably lead to nothing, she relishes in the fact that he finds her beautiful enough to stare at.

            But then she catches the _way_ he’s looking at her, and she is suddenly unsettled and ruffled. He’s not just looking at her the way you’d look at an attractive person…he’s looking at her so hard she can almost feel his eyes drilling holes into her.

            Barry is looking at her like she’s made of diamonds. Like she’s the most beautiful woman in the world—like she’s not even a woman at all, but a masterpiece.

            The last person to look at her like that had been Ronnie.

            Caitlin tries to ignore him, pretending to bring her attention back to her computer, checking and re-checking calculations.

            But he won’t stop staring at her. She thinks maybe she _should_ call him out then. After all, doesn’t he have things to do? “Barry, don’t you have someplace to be? Some metahumans to find? Damsels in distress to rescue?”

            “Wha...?” Barry says, still staring.

            “Dude.” This comes from Cisco, “You’re gawking at her like a high school boy on prom night.”

            “No, I’m not.” Barry pointedly looks at Cisco when he talks.

            Cisco just snickers, “Do I need to leave you two alone for a moment?”

            Caitlin flushes. “What? No! I mean—” Barry stammers. His face is rapidly reddening.

            Cisco laughs again, and, despite the pointed look Caitlin’s trying to give him, he exits the room.

            Barry sighs, “Okay…listen, Cait.”

            She obeys, turning towards him.

            “I…Iris and Joe are holding this New Years party tonight. And…well, I need a plus one?” he looks hopefully at her, his hands jammed in his pockets and his shoulders hunched. Cisco was right—he _did_ look like a high school boy asking his crush to prom.

            Except she isn’t his crush. Iris is. Caitlin’s initial reaction is to deny his request—why should she be left to be a wingman for him and Iris? But, then she realizes two things: one, that she really _doesn’t_ have anything planned for tonight (and who wants to spend New Years alone?!), and two, that she…she think she _might_ actually possibly want to be Barry’s date. Maybe.

            “Sure.” She hears herself say it before her mind has even made up a decision.

            Barry blinks, taken aback, “What?”

            “Sure, I’ll be your plus one.” A smile tugs at her lips as she says it.

 

 

            Caitlin smoothes the wrinkles out of her dress for the umpteenth time. _I look fine,_ she tells herself, but she doesn’t quite believe it. She’s wearing a black leather dress—not something she’s worn before, and probably not something she’ll wear any time soon. It’s a v-neck, and backless, so it isn’t exactly ideal for the winter time, but it’s the only thing she had that would be reasonable for a New Years party.

            She hears a knock on her apartment door, and she knows it must be Barry. Checking her reflection to make sure her hair, which was pulled back into a high ponytail. Her reflection reveals that her hair isn’t _perfect,_ but it’s good enough (Felicity would have approved).

            Barry knocks again, and she takes a deep breath—for some reason, she’s nervous—and opens the door.

            Barry’s face is hidden by a bouquet of flowers—yellow roses, her favorite. “Hi,” he says, his voice muffled from the flowers, “These are for you.” Although she can’t see him, she just _knows_ he’s blushing.

            “Thank you,” she takes the flowers from him. They’re already in a vase, so she sets the whole thing on the coffee table. “Come on in,” she says stepping aside and letting him in. She closes the door behind him and turns to look at him.

            He’s staring at her. Again.

            But she’s staring at him, too.

            His hair is slightly ruffled, his cheeks flushed. His white shirt is spotless, and matches his blue and black striped tie perfectly.

            “You look…” he gulps, “you…wow, Caitlin. You look incredible.”

            “You too,” she says, suddenly shy, “Except…” she reaches over, grabbing his tie, which he obviously tied himself. “Let me fix this,” she’s suddenly aware of how close their faces are as she begins to fix his tie.

            “There,” she says once it’s done. She’s very aware of the fact that his eyes haven’t left her face the whole time. Also, her hands remain on his chest, resting there. She tells them to _move_ , but she can’t seem to get control of them.

            In fact, she can’t seem to get control of any part of her body. Although her brain is screaming a warning: _Caitlin Snow, you stop this right now! You’ll only get hurt!,_ her body doesn’t seem to listen. Her hands trail down Barry’s chest, feeling the hard, shaped muscles underneath his shirt, and her eyes skim down his body. Barry’s breathing heavily, watching her every move.

            And then she’s kissing him. His tie knotted in her fist and his mouth on hers. She’s not even sure who initiated it—they seemed to lunge for each other at exactly the same moment. But she also knows that kissing him _isn’t enough._

            Quickly, as if she’s afraid she’ll lose time, she rips off the tie she just so carefully fixed, her hands immediately moving to the buttons on his shirt. Barry’s hands find the straps to her dress, which he pushes off her shoulders, pushing her up against the door as he’s doing so.

            His lips find her shoulder, kissing the collar bone and then moving up to her neck. “What about the party?” Caitlin finds herself asking as her hands comb through his hair.

            His arms find her waist, and her legs find his, wrapping around them. Barry grins at her, “Who cares?”

            She laughs at that, all thoughts and fears suddenly melting away. She doesn’t think. She doesn’t need too. She just needs him. “Bedroom’s that way.” She nods at the hallway as he carries her towards it, and her lips find his again, and she feels herself sigh into his mouth.

            They dispense the rest of their clothes on her floor before they even make it to the bed, where their passion only intensifies, not dwindling, not daring to stop, even when they hear the countdown outside and the fireworks overhead, they don’t stop—they _can’t_ stop.

            And Caitlin doesn’t want it to stop. Not ever.


	4. Chapter 4

            **Trigger waning: brief implied self-harm**

 

Her hands are shaking, her breath quivering. In fact, her whole body seems to be trembling so hard it makes her feel faint. _Sit down. Clear your head._ She takes a seat on the toilet, trying to take a few deep breaths to clear her head as she stares down at the pregnancy test in her hand. It’s her forth one, and they’ve all said the same thing: two pink lines.

            As she sucks in her breath, still unable to stop the shaking, she drops the pregnancy test into the trash can, not wanting to look at it anymore. The two pink lines seem to be taunting her, as if they were asking: _Now do you see, Caitlin? Now do you see what a terrible mistake that night was?_ What is she going to do? What is Barry going to do?

            _Line up the facts._

            Fact 1: I’m pregnant.

            Fact 2: Barry is the father.

            Fact 3: We’re not together. I’m alone in this.

            It’s fact three that really makes her begin to cry. She can’t do this. She _can’t._ Not by herself. This she’s just one lonely, heartbroken girl, she can’t be a _mother!_

            “Caitlin?” Cisco’s voice, then his fist knocking at the door, “Cait, are you in there?”

            She covers her hand with her mouth, sniffling, trying to muffle her cries, but the tears are flowing endlessly down her cheeks. She tries to make a sound, to tell Cisco she’s fine and to ask him to go away, but nothing will come out of her mouth except a strange noise that sounds vaguely like an animal being strangled. “Caitlin?” Cisco’s voice is panicked now, afraid for her.

            She hears him jiggling the doorknob, and then fighting for his key. “I sure as hell hope you’re wearing something in there, Caitlin, because I’m coming in.” The door opens suddenly, and Cisco marches in.

            “Caitlin!” He rushes to her, kneeling next to her and grabbing her hands away from her face, checking her wrists. When he finds no signs of blood, only the fading scars from just after Ronnie’s death, he breathes a sigh of relief.

            “What’s wrong?” His voice is worried, but steady. She’s still crying, so much that she can’t speak. She just nods toward the trashcan. Cisco may have been oblivious before, but now that he thinks— _knows—_ his best friend is hurting, she knows it’s time to come clean.

            Even as she’s sitting on the toilet, crying, she feels a surge of affection for him. Cisco Ramon, her best friend, the one who always stood beside her, always supported her, would surely help her get through this, even if Barry Allen couldn’t.

            He glances at the trashcan and quickly finds the pregnancy test. He raises his eyebrows when he looks at it before replacing it back in the trashcan. He turns back towards her, “Caitlin, that’s wonderful!”

            “ _Wonderful?_ ” she almost screams the word, “Nothing about this is _wonderful,_ Cisco!”

            He sits on the edge of the bathtub next to her, putting an arm around her shoulders. “Hey, c’mere,” he says. She allows herself to lean into him. “You’re about to bring a new life into this world, Caitlin,” he says softly, “of course it’s wonderful.”

            She sits quietly for a moment, considering his words. A new life…she’d never thought of it that way. There was a tiny human forming in her belly, a little _person_ who would grow up… “I can’t do this,” she whispers to him, “Not alone.” Cisco stands up, helping her to her feet as well, “What the hell gave you the idea that you’d be alone?”

            He’s leading her out of the bathroom now, grabbing a tissue and handing it to her on his way out, “Uncle Cisco’s gonna be with you and this kid the whole time. Same with Uncle Wells—should we call him Uncle Harrison? Nah, never mind. That’s weird.” This brings forth a wet laugh from Caitlin. “And Auntie Iris? She’ll be thrilled. And Uncle Joe and Uncle Eddie…Auntie Felicity, Uncle Oliver, uh, Uncle Diggle…” He gives her a smile as they sit on the couch together. But Caitlin notices that he’s left one very important name off the list.

            Cisco knows it too, “His daddy?” he bumps her shoulder, “Barry Allen will not be able to contain his excitement.” Caitlin smiles a little. Cisco knew.

            “Excitement about what?” Barry enters the lab, walking casually.

            Caitlin gulps. She hadn’t expected to see him so soon, and she was _not_ prepared. Cisco simply gives her a small smile and exits the room. Caitlin watches him go. Even though she knows it’s better that he’s not here—this conversation between her and Barry should be private—she can’t help but feel scared to be facing Barry all alone.

            Barry looks at her, eyebrows knit together in concern, “What’s wrong? Is everything okay?” She notices his arms flinch toward her for a moment, as if he wanted to put them around her, to comfort her.

            “Everything is fine,” she lies, “It’s just…”

            A million thoughts run through her head at that moment. Part of her wants to just tell him, to give in and to let him comfort her, but part of her knows she can’t. Once again, she’s at battle with herself, and once again, the reason is Barry Allen. She can’t drag him into this. There’s no way. It was just _one_ night. That’s all. She doesn’t want it to be more.

            _Yes, you do._ A small voice says in the back of her head.

            And she does. Oh, how she wants it to be more. She….

            _Line up the facts._

            Fact 1: I’m pregnant.

            Fact 2: Barry loves Iris.

            Fact 3: …. _fact three…_ I….still love Ronnie. I’ll always love Ronnie. But I might…I might love Barry, too. _Might? She might love Barry?_ Do. I do love Barry. I do love Barry Allen.

            And she hadn’t realized it. Not until now. Not until she needed him.

            This new information only brings on a new wave of tears, because Caitlin also knows he still has to deal with Fact 2. She cannot drag Barry into this. He deserves so much better. He deserves so much more than what she can give him.

            He deserves Iris West, the one he loves. Not Caitlin Snow. She doesn’t deserve him. Not at all.

            And she _refuses_ to tie him down to her. She can’t do that to him.

            All these thoughts process in a manner of seconds, but it seems to take an eternity in Caitlin’s mind. “It’s nothing,” she says to Barry, surprised by how easily she lies, “nothing you need to worry about.” She offers him a smile, even though her face is still red and her eyes are still puffy from crying.

            She makes her way to the door, ready to go home to a hot bath. “How’d it go?” Cisco says, excited. She doesn’t say anything to him. She can’t. He wouldn’t understand.

             She leaves Barry there, standing in the lab, confused as ever, and she feels her eyes watch her go. It’s hurts to just leave him, but she knows she has to.

            _I’m doing this for you, Barry Allen._


	5. Chapter 5

Barry’s fist hovered above her apartment door as he tries to collect his thoughts. What could he say to her? What could he possibly say to make any of this okay? He takes a deep breath, telling himself everything would be okay.

            And he knocks.

            Caitlin answers after a few moments. Her hair damp, she’s holding a mug of hot chocolate in her hands, and she’s in her pajamas—a pair of lose shorts, a tank top, and a thin robe. “Barry,” she says. He can hear the pain in her voice.

            “Hey…er, can I come in?” She steps aside, letting him in. He can’t help thinking that the _last_ time he was here…

            “Do you want anything to drink? Or eat?” Her tone is strained, and Barry knows she’s avoiding the subject.

            “Cisco told me,” the words blurt out of Barry’s mouth before he can stop them. She standing with her back to him, but he can see her visibly stiffen.

            “Told you what?” her voice holds suspicion, under a thin layer of fake cheeriness.

            “Caitlin…” he desperately wants to take her hand, but he knows very well that she wouldn’t let him, “…let’s not do this. Let’s not pretend you don’t know _exactly_ what I’m talking about.”

            She turns around, back toward him, her eyes flashing, “It wasn’t right for Cisco to tell you. It wasn’t his secret.”

            “Cait…we just…I just want to talk about it.” In truth, he wants to do more than just _talk_ about it. He wants to do a lot more, but he knows he can’t. Caitlin is the one who has a child growing inside of her, and Caitlin is the one who pushed him away. She doesn’t want to go through this with him, and he tries to tell himself that it’s fine.  It’s her choice, not his. She loves the memory of Ronnie, not him. And if she feels like this would be easier without him…then so be it.

            Caitlin sighs and collapses onto a kitchen chair, burying her face in her hands. Unsure what to do, Barry slides into the seat across from her. “I’m just…” Caitlin struggles for words for a moment, “unsure what we’re supposed to do, Barry. What _I’m_ supposed to do. How am I supposed to know what to do?”

            Barry suddenly remembers what Cisco told him: _She thinks she’s alone._

            He answers her as honestly as he can, “Whatever decision you make, Cait, I’m gonna support it.”

            She looks up at him, and Barry sees a different emotion in her eyes—something so different than the pain, suffering, and sadness her eyes usually carry. He isn’t sure, but he thinks it’s hope.

            “Really?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.

            He reaches out, hesitantly, and squeezes one of her hands, “Really.” She opens her hand more to him, letting him take it in both of his, noticing how small her hand is compared to his.

            Just then, his phone rings, making them both jump. With one hand—keeping the other firmly in Caitlin’s grasp, he sees who’s calling. Iris. He turns it off, the screen going black before he even answers her. Now is not the right time to talk to her.

            Caitlin’s looking at his darkened phone as if she might cry. She pulls her hand back from his suddenly “You okay?” Barry asks, suddenly concerned. Was she sick? Was she going to throw up on the floor or something? (Having no experience with pregnant women, Barry is hopelessly lost).

            “Nothing,” Caitlin says. She’s shutting him out. _Again._

            “Can you please tell me?” he asks, “Just tell me so I can fix it.”

            She hesitates for a second, and Barry thinks _maybe_ she’ll tell him. But, then, she sets her jaw and simply says, “I think you should leave, Barry.”

            “What? Why—”

            “ _Get out_ of my apartment!” She grabs him, pushing him toward the door, and Barry is so utterly confused to struggle. She pushes him out and slams the door before he can even make another word of protest.

            “Caitlin! Caitlin, please don’t do this!” He bangs on the door with both hands, “Please just…be rational! Why are you shutting me out, why—” his phone rings; Iris again. He turns it off again, remembering the look on Caitlin’s face when he’d received Iris’s call. Why had that suddenly upset her? Why would Iris…

            Oh.

            He remembers Caitlin’s various comments in the past couple months, _“Stop ruining Iris’s love life.”_ Caitlin had known. She’d known right away that he’d been in love with Iris. And she thinks he’s still in love with her now.

            He takes a deep breath, “Cait…Caitlin, if you don’t open this door and let you in, I’m just going to have to talk to you through it.” When Barry hears no sound from the other side, he continues, “Caitlin, I know things are complicated right now. I know things just haven’t been…easy between us. But…why do you think I asked you to that party in the first place?” He’s not sure if she’s listening or if she even can hear him, but he knows he has to say this, “I care about you, Caitlin Snow. I care about you a lot.”

            “Not the way you care about Iris, your first love,“ her voice, muffled form the other side of the door, is breaking. She’s crying.

            He takes a moment to collect his thoughts, unsure how to articulate his feelings. “Yes, Iris was my first love, Cait. And she’ll always hold a place in my heart. But….that doesn’t make anyone I love after that any less sweet. It doesn’t make my second—and last—love any less special,” he hopes she knows he’s talking about her.

Now comes the difficult part, “And…and I know you love Ronnie.”

            “I do,” she interrupts, “but…right now…I think…I think it may be time…” she starts crying harder, unable to finish. Barry _so_ wants to knock down the door and take her in his arms and just comfort her. He hears her mutter something that sounds like, “ _Line up the facts.”_

            “What?”

            “N—nothing, just something I…”

            Barry leans against the door, closing his eyes, “Fact 1: I did love Iris. Really, I did. And I still love her…but not in the same way.”

            She sniffs, “Fact 2: I love Ronnie, but…staying heartbroken isn’t the same as respecting his memory.” He hears a _click_ as the door unlocks. He opens it slowly.

            She’s sitting on the floor near the door, tears streaming down her face. He kneels down next to her, “Fact 3,” he reaches out, takes her face into his hands, “you are not alone in this.”

            She breathes out a sound halfway between a sob and a laugh.

            Barry helps her to her feet, and then takes a deep breath, “Fact 4: I am in love with you, Caitlin Snow.”

            She looks up at him, her eyes wide as his hands still cup her face. Her hands somehow find their way to his neck, and she’s pulling him down to her until their lips touch. She tastes sweet and salty—a combination of the hot chocolate and the tears, and for that moment, nothing else matters.

            Barry Allen has his Doctor Snow, and Caitlin Snow has her Barry Allen.

            As they pull back from their kiss, Caitlin rests head on his chest, and his arms move around her back, stroking her hair. Caitlin speaks into his chest, “Fact 5: I love you, too, Barry Allen.”

 

**Let me know if you think it needs one more chapter or if it’s fine the way it is!!**

**~J.H.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks so much for reading and be sure to check out my tumblr allen-and-snow for lots more Snowbarry and Olicity!**

**~J.H.**

* * *

 

Two(ish) months later.

 

            “Have you decided on a name?” Iris asks, nearly jumping up and down with excitement. Barry smiles at her, so glad that she’s still his best friend. After the past few months, he was afraid she would judge her, and not want to be his friend anymore. But, just like always, Iris was the supportive, loving girl he grew up with, and she was still his best friend.

            “Not yet,” he answers, “But Caitlin likes Danielle for a girl and Grant for a boy.” He takes a drink of his lemonade before adding, rather mischievously, “I’m thinking Lily for a girl and Oliver for a boy.”

            “We are _not_ naming our kid Oliver,” Caitlin says from her spot on the couch, but he can hear the smile in her voice. They’d had this conversation a million times before, and Barry couldn’t help but continue teasing her about it. He sits next to her, “It would be cute,” he argues.

            “No, it wouldn’t. It would be weird.”

            Barry laughs, stretching an arm around her shoulders. She leans into him naturally. His hand finds her hair, as it often does when he’s looking for something to do. “I still think Oliver would be a _great_ name,” Barry announces to no one in particular. This causes a giggle from Iris,

            “How’d you afford that ring, Barry?” Eddie asks, walking in from the kitchen and handing Iris a drink. He nods at the snow-white diamond band around Caitlin’s ring finger, “It looks pretty expensive.”

            “Eddie!” Iris slaps her boyfriend playfully on the chest, looking a little embarrassed, but happy nonetheless. Eddie hold up his hands in surrender, laughing. “Don’t be rude,” Iris says, grinning and allowing him to pull an arm around her shoulders.

            Caitlin and Barry both just laugh, too happy to be embarrassed or bothered by Eddie’s comment. “I don’t understand,” Iris says, changing the subject back to the baby’s name, “Why would it be weird to name him Oliver. I mean, you’ve only met Oliver Queen once or twice, right? It’s not like you’d be actually naming him after Queen, right?”

            “Right,” Barry and Caitlin say together. They give Iris a moment to turn away before exchanging a knowing smile at each other. Secrets, Barry found, were much easier to keep with Caitlin at his side.

 

* * *

 

Three months into the pregnancy.

 

            “I dunno…do we have time to make any adjustments?” Caitlin asks, looking skeptically into her reflection. When Caitlin had tried on the dress a month ago, it had looked better, but her ever-growing belly seemed to change that.

Her seamstress frowns. “What sort of adjustments?”

Caitlin shrugs. In reality, she wants an entirely new dress. Or—even better—a new body. One _without_ the baby bump. Not that she would ever get rid of the baby, she just _wished_ she could look better in her wedding dress.

“It’s an empire waist, Caitlin, and it’s not very tight. Trust me, no one will notice,” Felicity says reassuringly. Caitlin relaxes a little at that—Felicity’s ever-flawless fashion sense was easy to trust.

Looking back at her reflection, she decides that Felicity was right. When she and Iris had picked out the dress, they’d specifically chosen one that would look flattering on her no matter what the size of her belly. Plus, she was only three months along. She wasn’t showing _that_ much.

Satisfied by Caitlin’s silence, the seamstress hands her over to the hairdresser. Joe had volunteered his house for everyone to get ready, so the living room was now littered with various odds and ends from Caitlin’s preparation.

Someone knocks at the door. “I’ll get it!” Iris shouts from the kitchen, scurrying over to the door. There’s flour in her hair, but Caitlin trusts that the cake-baking process was going well. She’d originally wanted to hire a professional, but Iris pleaded with her and Barry, saying she would make the best wedding cake ever.

            From her position, she can’t see the door, but she hears it open and then Iris’s voice says, “Hey! You can’t be here! It’s bad luck to see—”

            In an instant, Barry’s next to her. “Hey!” she protests.

            “Barry, get out of here!” Felicity joins in, but she’s laughing.

            Barry gives her a simple, quick peck on the lips, “Are you ready, Cait?”

            She can’t help but smile, “Ready? Not nearly. I’ve still got to—”

            He stops her words with another kiss, “Not ready for the _wedding.”_

 _“_ Ready for what, then?”

“Caitlin Snow, are you ready to get married?”

She looks down at her belly, recalling how scared she was at the beginning. She’d thought this was such a big mistake. She’d thought she was alone in this. Now, she sees the baby for what it really is.

She kisses him again, shaking her head as she pulls back, “What a miracle.”

 

* * *

 

 

            The labor was fairly easy from what the doctors said, and the baby—a boy, named neither Grant nor Oliver, but Joe—was perfectly healthy. Caitlin was taking a well-deserved nap, and Barry was, for the first time, holding his son.

            He only had a few minutes before the nurses would come in and take the baby away for another feeding, so he knew these few moments were precious.

            He marveled at how small his son was. The doctors and nurses said that he was a healthy weight, but Joe just seemed too tiny to be real. Barry was afraid that he would squish him if he held on too tight. He sits tentatively on the edge of Caitlin’s hospital bed, staring at the tiny, pinkish baby that was their son.

            “Hey there,” he says softly, hoping he wouldn’t wake his son nor his wife, “Hey, little buddy, how ya doin?” The baby, of course, makes no indication of hearing him. “I have lots to teach you!” Barry continues, “And lots of stories to tell you! But, first, I’m going tell you the story of a superhero.” With his free hand, Barry takes Caitlin’s, his eyes still trained on little Joe, “This is the story of the greatest superhero in the world.”

            The baby seems to smile in his sleep, and Barry plants a kiss on his forehead, “This is the story of your Caitlin Snow.”


End file.
